Forest officials accused of attempts to cover up illegal wooden logs at Loliem 's Carpentry Unit

Sep 18, 2023

Goemkarponn Desk

CANACONA: The government owned Carpentry Common Facility cum Production Centre in Idhar-Loliem is back in news over illegal tree felling in Canacona.According to sources, a team of Forest officials have reached the Carpentry Unit at Loliem to inspect the presence of unaccounted wooden logs lying dumped at Carpentry Unit.

It may be recalled that allegations were rife that Canacona MLA and GLA Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar is accused of bringing in woods from illegally felled trees for illegal processing the same at the government owned Carpentry Unit.

There were allegations that illegally proceesed Timber is moved away and over 50 lakhs worth wooden logs unclaimed are still lying dumped at Carpentry Unit and forest department is not taking any action in the matter. Complainants have called for Forest department inquiry and according to sources a team of Forest department came to carry out an inspection and enquiry at Carpentry Unit.

The officials were litrarily taking account of the wooden logs lying in the compound of the Carpentry Unit, when some members of press fraternity arrived on the scene.On seeing the presence of media and others, the forest officials stopped their proceedures and instead retreated from the area and went up the road, the forest officials including some lady Officers best a hasty retreat and fled away in the same forest Jeep (GA01 G2525) they had come.

Efforts by media to find out the reason for leaving the inspection incomplete, were met with silence from officers concerned, after stating that they had received a call from the higher up to come for some other important matter.

However, they were seen making some calls, and in return they too received some calls, and informed there is fore somewhere and they got to rush over there.

When media further persisted to know why they are leaving without conducting the inspection and enquiry which they began to find out the presence of illegal wooden logs at the Carpentry Unit and how they leaving without completing the same, they insisted that they ordered by their higher ups to go for the other important work instead.

Residents stating Something is cooking up, and the forest department is trying to hide the illegality have called to instead bring out reality to the fore.

Residents also alleged the forest team have come at the instance of some unknown presure and have also let fearing their cover up attemps will be exposed.It may be recalled that while Congress and Goa Forward Party leaders and even many alert citizens groups have alleged black deeds of Canacona MLA and GLA Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, in illegal trees felling activities in tej taluka, the Carpentry Unit incharge has named Tawadkar for bringing five truck loads of unlicensed or unaccounted wooden logs at Carpentry Unit for processing

‘ i was told Higher forest Officers are aware and i am directed to process the logs ‘, the Carpentry Unit incharge has said.

People are already speaking in terms that government is fully backing to cover up the illegality committed by and in full knowledge of the MLA and whether forest department is itself trying to destroy the proof of presence of illegal woods at the Carpentry Unit, illegal wood will disappear, no action will be fixed , and whether instead of truth, the lies will triumph.